Taylor Schilling on Public Libraries and her latest film, ‘The Public’

“The movie is simple and has a very clear message: that everyone’s voice matters,” she explains.

“For me, a library is a place where people can come for free and obtain information, and it’s equal to all. It’s actually democracy [in] action for me, ” actor Taylor Schilling says of her role in The Public, a film written and directed by Emilio Estevez, which centers around a theme that is more important today than ever. Unfolding mostly within a public library, the storyline follows people from all walks of life as they are forced to make emotional connections with one another due to extreme weather conditions.

These connections are tested and political innuendos abound. “The movie is simple and has a very clear message: that everyone’s voice matters and by no means can we judge our fellow humans on their outside experiences and circumstances. Everybody’s human, you know.” And while the subject matter may be intense, the location in which the film takes place is one of nostalgia for Schilling. “We would go [to the local library] in the summer and there was some sort of a program where you would get a sticker for every book you read, and you’d get a prize at the end of the summer if you read x number of books, I guess I’ve always been a goal-oriented type of girl.”